For many years, petroleum has been recovered from subterranean reservoirs through the use of drilled wells and production equipment. Oil and natural gas are found in, and produced from, porous and permeable subterranean formations, or reservoirs. The porosity and permeability of the formation determine its ability to store hydrocarbons, and the facility with which the hydrocarbons can be extracted from the formation. The incorporation of additives into fluids utilized in an oil and/or gas well can increase the recovery of crude oil or formation gas. For example, fracturing and acidizing are commonly used techniques to stimulate the production of oil and/or gas from reservoirs, wherein a fluid is injected into the wellbore and the formation (reservoir) to promote the recovery of oil and/or gas. However, when selecting or using a fluid to be utilized during the life cycle of an oil and/or gas well, it is important for the fluid to comprise the right combination of additives and components to achieve the necessary characteristics of the specific end-use application. The fluids utilized during the life cycle of an oil and/or gas well are often utilized to perform a number of tasks simultaneously and achieving necessary to optimal characteristics is not always easy.
In some cases, the fluids can cause unintended effects such as the formation of gelled layers (e.g., emulsions of oil and water, cross-linked gelled layers) which are difficult to prevent, breakdown and/or remove from the wellbore and/or which hinder the recovery of hydrocarbons from an oil and/or gas well. While several approaches have been used to overcome this problem, for example, the incorporation of gel-breaking agents, there is still the need for improved techniques, as well as a greater understanding as to how to select the additives to maximize the productivity of the well.
Accordingly, although a number of agents are known in the art, there is a continued need for more effective techniques for breaking down, and/or removing gelled layers and for increasing production of oil and/or gas.